Japan head coach Eddie Jones believes that their super-fast brand of rugby can make the Brave Blossoms the team that everyone wants to watch at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Jones’ vastly-improved side has turned a corner this year, winning their first Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) title since 2019 following hard-fought 20-15 win against Fiji in September. The 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists had made a dream start to the inaugural Nations Championship by beating Italy 27-10 in

Japan Rugby League One side Urayasu D-Rocks will give away 30,000 free tickets for their history-making games at Tokyo’s National Stadium in 2027. Urayasu are coached by former England international Graham Rowntree and their talented squad includes Wallabies internationals Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia, Super Rugby winner Devan Flanders, a summer recruit from the Highlanders, and Springboks powerhouse Jasper Wiese. Kerevi in action against Saitama - © JRLO The NTT Communicati

Former Toulouse star Naoto Saito has replaced All Blacks centurion Sam Cane as Suntory Sungoliath’s captain for the 2026-2027 season. The two-time Top 14 winner, 29, has returned to Fuchu-based Suntory this summer after two seasons in France with star-studded Toulouse. Saito playing against Toyota in 2024 - © JRLO Saito captained Eddie Jones’ Japan to Pacific Nations Cup glory this month in the absence of Super Rugby winner Warner Dearns who was rested. The ex-Sunwolves scrum

From having back-to-back clubs disband to being teammates with World Cup winners Cheslin Kolbe and Sam Cane and now a free agent at 32, ex-Suntory Sungoliath scrum-half Takahiro Kimura’s career has reached a crossroads. A former Japan u20s international, Kimura, is unwavering in his desire to continue to playing as he shows only tenacity during the most tumultuous of times. “I can’t see myself retiring,” the Fukuoka native told RugbyJP.com. Reinforcing his positive words, he

Ireland wing James Lowe could make his Suntory Sungoliath debut against his former club the Chiefs in a pre-season game at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in November. New signing Lowe, 34, who has joined the big-spending Fuchu outfit as a replacement for Stormers-bound Springboks superstar Cheslin Kolbe, has already moved to Japan and linked up with ex-Japan fly-half Keisuke Sawaki’s team. © Suntory Sungoliath The 45-cap Test star is understood to have inked a two-year

Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex lock Saimoni Vunilagi, a summer signing from Suntory Sungoliath, has tragically passed away at the age of 26 due to suspected heatstroke. Fiji-born Vunilagi, who joined Suntory after graduating from Daito Bunka University, showed symptoms of heatstroke after training with his new division two club Kyuden Voltex on Monday and was immediately transported to a hospital in Fukuoka City. © Suntory Sugoliath Despite the best efforts of the medial

Japan starlet Ryunosuke Ito’s first professional club will be Eddie Jones and Beauden Barrett’s ex-side Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal. Meiji University fly-half Ito, 21, was a revelation for his country in the Nations Championship as he made his Test debut in the Brave Blossoms’ impressive season-opening win against Italy. The precocious Kanagawa native, who led his University side to All-Japan University Rugby Football Championship glory in Jan

Leinster's all-time record try scorer James Lowe is set to replace Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe at League One outfit Suntory Sungoliath, according to Irish outlet The 42. New Zealand-born Lowe, 33, confirmed his departure from the provincial side after nine years in Ireland in a post on Instagram on Tuesday. The 45-cap international, who failed to agree new deal with the URC finalists, said: "I find it difficult to put into words what Ireland means to me. "It's become so

South African lock Lood de Jager returned from a seven-month injury lay-off to help Saitama Wild Knights defeat Sam Cane’s Suntory Sungoliath 26-19 in League One's third-place play-off. The 33-year-old made his first appearance of the season having recovered from hip surgery following South Africa’s end-of-year tour in 2025. Fit-again de Jager played 56 minutes in the penultimate club game of the Japanese season to hand the Springboks a major boost heading into a congested su

Springboks superstar Cheslin Kolbe will return to his former club the Stormers this summer after Suntory Sungoliath announced today that he will depart after completing his third season in Japan. The competition’s top points scorer wrestled with the decision of whether to stay in Japan but, having played rugby outside of South Africa since 2017, has opted to make an early return to his homeland. RugbyJP.com understands that Kolbe, who left the Stormers in 2017 to play in the

Suntory Sungoliath has today announced that Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe will be leaving the club at the end of the season. Two-time World Cup winner Kolbe, 32, was prominent on Saturday as he scored 17 points in the club’s 40-35 quarter-final win against Black Rams Tokyo to book a semi-final clash against Dave Rennie and Ardie Savea’s Kobe Steelers on Saturday. The division’s top points scorer is poised to make an early return to his former club the Stormers who have alread

Suntory Sungoliath rescued their quarter-final with a match-winning 84th minute try to edge past the spirited Black Rams Tokyo who's sensational second half comeback was undone in the last play of the game. © JRLO In a frenetic game that had everything, play-off regulars Suntory controlled proceedings from the outset and powered their way to a 17-0 lead after just 15 minutes as first-time post-season contenders the Rams looked overawed by the occasion. TJ Perenara gave them a

League One’s division one play-offs kick off on Saturday with TJ Perenara’s Black Rams Tokyo facing Sam Cane’s Suntory Sungoliath as World Cup winners and ex-All Blacks teammates clash at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. The history-making Rams are making their first appearance in the top-flight post-season after former All Blacks centre Tabai Matson, who played for then-Top League side Yamaha Jubilo (now Shizuoka Blue Revs) from 2001 to 2006, impressively steered the To

Blacks Rams Tokyo’s World Cup-winning captain TJ Perenara lauded Suntory Sungoliath full-back Cheslin Kolbe as one of the best players in the world ahead of their League One quarter-final next week. Perenara, who was speaking at the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) Play-Offs Media Conference in Akihabara, Tokyo, on Thursday afternoon, identified the Springboks superstar - who finished the regular season as the top points scorer - as the greatest threat posed by their Tokyo rival

Suntory Sungoliath star Cheslin Kolbe believes he’s still developing as a player after helping the Fuchu side past rivals Black Rams Tokyo in a preview of the upcoming quarter-final between the two sides in two weeks' time. The 32-year-old double World Cup winner contributed 17 points in his team's 39-22 win in the final round of the regular season on Sunday to finish with a personal best haul of 185 points. South Africa’s pocket rocket’s try and 12 points from the tee saw hi

Suntory Sungoliath star Cheslin Kolbe will stay in Japan for the ‘foreseeable future’ his management agency Roc Nation Sports International has revealed. Two-time World Cup winner Kolbe, 32, is enjoying his best season so far for the Fuchu outfit with a haul of 141 points including eight tries for the play-off contenders. The Springboks ace, who has played his club rugby outside of his homeland since 2017, was linked with a summer return to URC title contenders the Stormers.

Two of Japan Rugby League One’s heavy-hitters collide in round two in a star-studded showdown between Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz and ‘Brighton Miracle’ number 10-turned head coach Kosei Ono’s Suntory Sungoliath at the 49,970-capacity Ajinomoto Stadium on Saturday. The game will air live in the UK on Premier Sports from 5.25am (KO 5.30am) with English commentary. RugbyJP.com has four reasons why the anticipated clash, which has a habit of producing a nail-biting and high

Former Brave Blossoms star Hendrik Tui has issued a stark warning to young foreign players who are keen to follow his path by moving to...

Wales’ return to Japan, for the first time since the 2019 World Cup, will see the visitors fighting to end the worst losing streak in...

Japan will hand a debut to Yokohama Canon Eagles wing Kippei Ishida against Wales on Saturday after head coach Eddie Jones...